midterm (vocab from chapters) Flashcards
criminal justice
the system of institutions, policies, and practices with the goal of maintaining social control and deterring crime through sanctions and rehabilitation
law enforcement
law enforcement agencies are charged with investigating crimes and arresting individuals alleged to have committed crimes
courts
courts are responsible for interpreting and applying the law
corrections
functions to protect society from criminals through monitoring, and other community-based programs
jails
local facilities managed by cities and counties that perform a somewhat overlapping, but distinct, purpose from prisons and penitentiaries. jails hold both those convicted of crimes and individuals who have not yet been convicted. jails typically detain individuals who have been convicted of misdemeanors serving sentences of less than one year
prisons
hold persons convicted of more serious offenses who are serving longer sentences
probation
a sentence that suspends or delays a term of full-time incarceration in prison or jail. in return of the suspended/delayed sentence, the judge orders the offender to return to the community where they have to abide by certain rules and conditions
parole
a person just released from prison may be placed on parole as part of their sentence. parole operates like probation in that the offender is released from prison back into the community, where they must abide by certain rules and conditions and failure to comply with those often means a return to prison.
nolle prosequi
latin for “be unwilling to pursue”. this is commonly used by a prosecutor to willingly terminate legal proceedings before trial or before a verdict. the statement is often construed as an admission that the charges cannot be proven
grand juries
tasked with determining if the prosecutor has sufficient evidence to proceed with charges; may be convened to investigate and issue an indictment or no bill
no bill
indicates that insufficient evidence is present to proceed with the case and the accused is released if they are in jail
nolo contendere
accepting a penalty without admitting guilt
victim advocates
trained professionals who support crime victims throughout the process. resources from victim advocates may help educate victims about the criminal justice system proceedings and offer options for support aht is available. the advocates educate victims about their rights and in some cases, attend court proceedings with the victims.
inalienable rights
rights that are universal and not contingent on laws or beliefs specific to a particular government or culture
judicial activism
occurs when decisions are influenced by personal or political underpinings
USA PATRIOT ACT (united and strengthening america by providing appropriate tools required to intercept and obstruct terrorism)
the 2001 act signed into law by george w. bush to strengthen security measures designed to protect the united states from attack
USA Freedom Act
a 2015 law that came into effect the day after the USA PATRIOT ACT expired; it continued many of the elements from the USA PATRIOT ACT but halted the NSA from gathering massive amounts of phone data on citizens. it instead allows phone companies to retain consumer data that can be accessed by the NSA once federal court permission is obtained
crime
the breaking of a law for which the criminal justice system or some other governing authority prescribes punishment. crimes are defined differently across geographic regions, including localities, states, and nations. the exact same crime can be given different names in different places and what constitutes a crime may be contingent on the characteristics of the perpetrator or the victim
street crimes
crimes that are relatively common and serious, involving a victim and an offender who come together in space and time. examples include rape, sexual assault, homicide, robbery, and physical assault
property crime
crime against property, including motor vehicle theft, burglary, and property theft.
victimless crimes
criminal offenses that are thought not to involve victims because they cause no direct harm to individuals other than the offenders; includes things like prostitution, drug use, and gambling.
white collar crimes
a crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation; is typically il-defined but can include lying, stealing, or cheating by occupational, corporate, and government actors using a wide range of frauds; examples include bribery, securities fraud, ponzi schemes, mortgage fraud, misuse of pension funds, bank fraud, unsafe products, violations of public trust, medical fraud, insider trading, price fixing, toxic dumping, fiduciary fraud, religious fraud.
Kate’s Law
an amendment to the immigration and nationality act that calls for an increase in penalties for undocumented immigrants who return to the united states and commit crimes. the bill has not cleared the senate.
cybercrime
a form of illegal activity using a computer or computer networks as the primary method of commission; includes network intrusions, fraud, dissemination of computer viruses, theft of service, online gambling, trade secret theft, securities fraud, child pronography, zoom bombing, denial of service attacks, identity theft, stalking, and cyberbullying
terrorism
a crime that receives a great deal of attention in the public and in academic studies; characteristics of terrorism include: it is committed by subnational or extremist clandestine groups that may or may not include groups in the USA, is premeditated, targets are noncombatants, acts have the purpose of influencing an audience, acts tend to be cross national, acts generally seek political, social, or economic change
mala in se
refers to behavior that is immoral and inherently wrong by nature
mala prohibita
describes behavior that is prohibited by law
decriminalization
the reduction or abolition of penalties associated with behaviors
justifiable homicide
the lawful and intentional taking of another’s life; it has always been elgal, but what constitutes justifiable homicide has changed over time. for an act to be considered justifiable, there must be evidence that the suspected offender presented an imminent threat to the life or well being of another, with threats including things like murder, manslaughter, armed robbery, and rape
castle doctrine
law in 23 states that say residents are no longer required to retreat if threatened by intruders; they may justifiably use force, even deadly force, against intruders if they or other individuals are threatened.
adultery
generally speaking, sex by a married person with someone other than their spouse; specific laws regarding adultery differ by state, as does the level of criminality associated with it; most states of decriminalized adultery
rape
a type of violent crime considered mala in se that includes “penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with a body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person without the consent of the victim”. rape does not have to involve force, but has to involve a lack of consent, including when a person is unconscious
rape shield laws
restrict a defendant’s ability to cross-examine a rape victim about past sexual behavior and prohibit revealing the identity of a rape victim
sexual abuse
describes sexual violence committed against children, including actions such as forced touching, requiring the child to sexually touch the perpetrator, or forcing them to watch sexual activity. sexual abuse is criminal behavior.
sexual assault
encompasses a variety of acts that are sexual in nature, including unwanted touching, kissing, rubbing, groping, or forcing the victim to touch the perpetrator in sexual ways
crime control perspective
the view that the role of the criminal justice system is to prevent crime by shrewdly and harshly punishing offenders; this view finds that when punishment is weak or avoided, offenders do not fear apprehension and continue to commit crimes
rehabilitative perspective
the role of the criminal justice system is to care for and treat people who are unable to take care of themselves. the view is based on the notion that offending is the result of blocked opportunities, inadequate education, lack of transportation, and poor adult role models. perspective is based on the underlying belief that people commit crimes because it is their only option.
due process perspective
the criminal justice system’s purpose is to ensure that all people accused of crimes are treated fairly and equally. the fifth and fourteenth amendments address each citizen’s right to due process in the administration of justice. perspective says that detainment should be fairly distributed, every person should receive fair hearing and trials, engaged and competent attorneys should represent the accused, nad sentencing should be evenhanded
restorative justice perspective
the appropriate role of the CJS is to repair the harm caused by criminal behavior. cjs should not operate through punishment, but rather through cooperation among victims, offenders, and members of the community. the approach focuses on victims of crime and offenders are expected to take responsibility for their actions and pay for them through agreed upon means
nonintervention perspective
argues for noninterference; the role of the cjs is to be as minimally intrusive as possible, given that any intrusion by the cjs is harmful because it stigmaties an individual as an “offender” –> the stigma results in a self-fulfilling prophecy where offenders view themselves as failures or delinquent and as a result find navigating the noncriminal world more difficult
consensus model
a theoretical view of the cjs that highlights the collaborative nature of the system; the components of the cjs work together to achieve justice; supports the idea of social contract
conflict model
the theoretical view of the cjs that highlights the adversarial nature of the system; components of the cjs work in competition to produce a fair of outcome or justice system; based on notions of division and disparity among members of society and the struggles for power that this causes
social contract
perspective that organized societies are created by an agreement that is mutually beneficial to the whole
framing
criminal justice and crime stories are packaged into tidy presentations that make sharing the information easy. frame simplify criminal events and make processing, laveling, and understanding crimes easier for the audience; frames fail to allow the expression of important variation and nuances in crimes
faulty criminal justice frame
indicates that crime occurs because of a dearth of law and order in the country; indicates that crimes are committed because criminals feel they can get away with them; contends that criminal sanctions are a joke and offenders are rarely held accountable
blocked opportunities frame
suggests that crime results from a lack of legal opportunities among offenders; those living in poverty are left with no other option but to commit crimes
social breakdown frame
crime as the obvious result of breakdown in family and community; contends that the availability of welfare has further enables families and the community to disintegrate
racist system frame
the problem is not crime but rather the cjs; cjs is used as a means to oppress people of color
violent media frame
crimes as a direct result of the violent media that bombard us in TV, movies, video games, and music; the constant display of violence leads to a lack of respect for human life and increased violence in the nation
infotainment
marketing of a highly edited and distorted combination of entertainment and information purported to be truthful and comprehensive
narrowcasting
the presentation of a narrow view of information in the media to small homogeneous audiences
criminal justice
refers to the system, the system of law enforcement, courts, and corrections
criminology
refers to the study of the nature, extent, and causes of criminal offending and criminal victimization
UCR Program
started by the international association of chiefs of police and then moved under the umbrella of the fbi in 1929; it is a compilation of crime data reported by the fbi; designed to provide unified, reliable, and systematic information on a set of frequently committed serious crimes reported to law enforcement agencies across the country.
Supplementary Homicide Reports
supplemental reports to the fbi’s uCR program that gather details about homicide in the united states, including information about offenders, victims, and incidents
national incident-based reporting system
a large, complex national data collection system designed to gather incident-based crime information from law enforcement
federal bureau of investigation
department of justice bureau that collects a wide variety of crime data
bureau of justice statistics
department of justice bureau that gathers a wide variety of national crime data
national crime victimization survey
sponsored by the bureau of justice statistics, a nationally representative survey of victims of property and personal violence in the united states
part I crimes
the most serious and regularly occuring crimes
part II crimes
less serious and less regularly occurring crimes
summary reporting system
the original aggregated crime data collected under the fbi’s ucr program
robbery
refers to a personal violent crime; involves an incident in which someone takes or attempts to take something of value directly from another person
burglary
refers to a property crime in which someone enters a dwelling without permission
national incident-based reporting system
augments the srs by gathering detailed incident information about crimes, including the nature and types of crimes committed during each incident, victim and offender characteristics, type and value of stolen and recovered property, and characteristics of arrested individuals
group a crimes
more serious and frequently occurring offenses like animal cruelty, arson, bribery, burglary, breaking and entering, forgery, counterfeiting, extortion, homicide, human trafficking, kidnapping, motor vehicle theft, robbery, sex offenses, weapon law violations
group b crimes
consists of 10 offenses of less serious and frequent offenses: bad checks, curfew/loitering/vagrancy violations, disorderly conduct, driving under the influence, drunkenness, family offenses, liquor law violations, peeping tom, trespass of property
national crime statistics exchange
a collaborative effort between the bjs and fbi and other organizations that will produce nationally representative incident-based statistics on crimes using both data reported to law enforcement agencies and a sample
dark figure of crime
crime unknown/unreported to the police
national crime survey
the predecessor of the national crime victimization survey, first implemented in 1972
larceny
property theft
interpol (international criminal police organization)
an intergovernmental organization
form 1 (cybercrime)
advanced cyber crime or high-tech crime; these criminal acts are generally quite sophisticated and are focuse don computer hardware and software
form 2 (cyber crime)
cyber-enabled crimes; more traditional in nature
creepware
a malware program downloaded to a person’s computer without their knowledge
global terrorism database
housed at the national consortium for the study of terrorism and responses to terrorism at the university of maryland; includes data of terrorism from 1970 to present, offering terrorism information on threatened, failed, and successful terrorist attacks
crime multiplier
the saturated media presentation of crime that leads to a public that believes there is more crime than there is. in addition, this disproportionate and repetitive coverage leads to enhanced fear of crime among the public
classical theory
crime occurs when the benefits outweigh the cost; crime is free-willed choice
positivist theory
crime is caused or determined
individual trait theory
criminals differ from non criminals on a number of biological and psychological traits
social disorganization theory
crime occurs in the city zone (zone of transition) that has high levels of poverty, heterogeneity, and residential mobility
differential association theory/social learning theory
crime is learned through associations with criminal definitions that approve of criminal conduct or neutralizations that justify criminal conduct
anomie/institutional anomie theory
the gap between the american dream’s goal of economic success and the opportunity to obtain this goal creates structural strain
strain/general strain theory
when individuals cannot obtain success goals success goals such as money or status, they experience strain or pressure. people under strain adapt accordingly by either accepting or rejecting the goals and means to obtain what society values. a society that lacks common goals and means may experience anomie (normlessness)
control theory
the key factor in crime causation is the presence or absence of social control that emphasizes relationships
rational choice/deterrence theory
crime is seen as a choice that is influenced by its costs and benefits; crime is a rational choice
routine activity theory
people’s daily routine activities affect the likelihood they will be attractive targets who encounter offenders in situations in which no effective guardianship is present
labeling/shaming theory
people become stabilized in criminal roles when they are labeled as criminal, develop criminal identities, are sent to prison, and are excluded from conventional roles
critical/marxist theory
inequality in power and material well-being create conditions that lead to street crime and corporate crime. the ruling class exploits the working class through labor and laws
peacemaking theory
crime is caused by suffering that is linked to injustice rooted inequality and daily personal acts of harm
feminist theory
crime cannot be understood without considering gender. crime is shaped by the different social experiences of and power exercised by men and women
developmental/life course theory
crime causation is a developmental process that starts before birth and continues through the lfie course
integrated crime theory
crime is caused by components described in a variety of theories
code of hammurabi
the oldest known legal code, it established approximately 300 provisions for family, trade, real property, personal property, and labor
trial by ordeal
primitive form of trial in which the outcome rested in the hands of God to determine guilt or innocence by protecting an innocent person from some or all the consequences of the test
age of enlightenment:
brought about new ways of thinking, including reforms arising from outrage against the barbaric system of law and punishment just before the French Revolution in the late 18th century
specific deterrence
the notion that punishment deters the individual being punished from committing crime in the future
general deterrence
the notion that the general populace will be deterred from committing crimes based on the perceived negative consequences of being caught
social contract
citizens should be willing to sacrifice a minimum amount of liberty to help prevent anarchy and chaos
felicitous or hedonistic calculus
a measure indicating how much pleasure an individual gains from a specific act
utilitarianism
a doctrine stating that an action is morally right as long as the behavior is a benefit for the majority of a society; this is the concept of the “greatest good for the greatest number”